Jack Mills

Jack was born in Natick in 1931 to John Kenerick Mills Jr. and Ada Hartman Mills. He spent his early life in Wellesley, sharing happy summers with his family on Stone Avenue in Scituate and playing cornet in his school band. In 1949, Jack graduated from Scituate High School and also started construction on a fishing dory that he would share with his family decades later.

After returning from his service with the U.S. Navy Construction Battalion (“Seabees”) during the Korean War, Jack worked as a carpenter with several local builders and earned a number of construction licenses. His experiences enabled him to build a carpentry business with customers across the South Shore and the Cape. His projects have served generations of small businesses and many local families can say they live in The House that Jack Built.

In 1958, Jack married his sweetheart Janet Sawyer from East Bridgewater. Jack and Janet were together in marriage for sixty years, until her passing in 2018. After a beautiful honeymoon trip to Nova Scotia, they settled with their young family into their home in Scituate, where Jack lived for the remainder of his life. While working full time as a carpenter, he attended night school at Wentworth Institute in Boston, ultimately attaining a degree in Architectural Engineering.

Jack was a lifelong supporter of the Boy Scouts of America, serving as Scoutmaster for both his sons. He led hundreds of scouts over the years through canoe trips, campouts, and hikes as they built skills and earned badges. One son as well as two grandsons ultimately attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

Jack had so many interests: he loved his regular pool games with friends, watching a Red Sox or Bruins game, fishing with his grandsons, reading a sea tale, and sitting happily for hours at the Scituate Lighthouse, watching the tide and the boats come and go. He loved to listen to Harry James, Guy Lombardo, and Herb Albert.

Later in his life, Jack began a wooden model of the fishing schooner Bluenose. He joined the U.S.S. Constitution Model Shipwright Guild and enjoyed the camaraderie and craftsmanship of his fellow model-makers. His model was completed last year and is proudly displayed at home.

Jack is survived by his daughter Jane Napolitano and her husband Bill of Kingston, son John Mills and his wife Holly of Atlanta, and son Andy and his wife Kate of Bridgewater. Jack was the proud Papa of John Mills, Taylor Mills, Melissa Sternberg, Jesse Sternberg, Josh Napolitano, and the late Jesse Napolitano. Jack was also predeceased by his sister Jean Winston and brother Richard Stirling Mills. Jack was a beloved uncle to many nieces and nephews.

Visiting hours will be held at Richardson-Gaffey Funeral Home in Scituate on Saturday, June 26 from 1 to 4 p.m. Military honors will be presented at the end of visiting hours. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to any of the charities that touched Jack’s life:

- Cystic Fibrosis – www.cff.org

- Crohn’s and Colitis – www.crohnsandcolitis.com

- Diabetes – www.diabetes.org

- Parkinson’s Disease – www.parkinson.org